Identification device

The invention relates to an identification device, in particular for the linear detection of a code arranged in an object plane. In this respect, an optical receiving system is present in the identification device with which the object plane is imaged on a spatially resolving light receiver. The optical receiving system is movably journaled with a link journaled in a swivel joint along a path of an arc of a circle for the focusing of differently far away object planes on the light receiver. To change the spacing between the optical receiving system and the light receiver, i.e. to change the focus, the position of the link and thus the optical receiving system is changed by a positioning element. In this respect, the pivot is oriented in parallel for the linear detection of the code so that a displacement of the detection region caused by the circular movement of the optical receiving system on the object plane only takes place in the direction of the linear detection of the code.